Egg carrier



May 4, 1954 H. B. CLIFFORD EGG CARRIER Hilda B. Clifford IN VEN TOR.

Patented May 4, ,A1954 UNIT-ED T OFF-l CE 7 Claims. l

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in egg carriers and the principal object i the invention is to provide an egg handling device whereby several eggs may be simultaneously lifted, caru ried and deposited into a receptacle or an egg candling machine, this being achieved in a highly simple, expeditious and dependable manner.

This application is a continuation-impart of my co-pending application Serial No. 160,021, iiled May 4, 1950, on an Egg Candling Apparatus.

Some of the advantages of the instant invention reside in its simplicity of construction, in its efficient operation, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in View and such vother objects and features as may be apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially oi the arrangement and construction of parts as iliustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View oi the invention;

Figure 2 is an underside plan View thereof:

Figure 3 is a, fragmentary sectional detail of the closure actuating means used in the invention; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified embodiment of the invention.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, more particularly to Figures l, 2 and 3, the invention consists of an egg carrier which is designated generally by the reference character lil and embodies in its construction a rectangular frame I2 including a pair of side walls ifi and a pair of end walls it, the frame i2 being provided with a plurality oi intersecting partitions i which define therein a plurality of individual egg compartments 2li. As far as the frame I2 itself is concerned, the compartments Eil are open at the top `and bottom thereof.

A set of elongated panels i2 are provided with transverse pins or shafts '25, whereby they Aare hingedly connected at the ends thereof to the lower edges of the frame side walls iii, these panels being swingable'irom a substantially horizontal position as shown by the full lines in Figure 1 to a downwardly swung, open position, illustrated by the dotted lines it. It is to be noted that when the panels 22 are horizontal, they provide closures for the bottoms oi the compartments 2i] so as to retain eggs in 'the 'com- Figure partments as indicated at 2B. However, when the panels 22 are swung downwardly, the eggs may be either discharged from the device by lifting the frarne upwardly (see it), or the de-` vice may be filled with eggs by passing the frame downwardly over the eggs arranged in a sys tematic group, such as for example, in a shipping container.

ln any event, means are provided for swinging the panels 22 upwardly to their closed position and for retaining the panels closed, these means consisting of a pair of cords 32 which extend siidabiy through suitable tubular guides 3d secured to the opposite ends of one of the end walls U3, the lower ends of the cords being connected by suitable eyes t to the ends of a pair ci transversely straps 38. The other ends of the straps 33 are anchored to the last or outermost panel as shown at l0 'and it will be observed that the .straps 33 underlie the panels 22 so that by simply pulling the cords 'upwardly as indicated at d2, the engagement of the straps 3i; with the panels 22 will cause the panels to be wung upwardly to their closed position. `On the other hand, when upward pulling-force on the cords 32 is relaxed, the panels 22 will swing downwardly under the iniiuence of gravity and the cords 32 will be drawn downwardly accordingly.

'The side walls ii of the frame `I2 are provided with a pair of inverted U-shaped handles ifi and the upper ends of the cords 32 are anchored to the side walls as at it, adjacent the handles, so that the cords may be conveniently manipulated while 'the handlesY are being gripped.

It is to be also observed that the panels 22 are provided with a series of apertures or openings 't which ailord seats for the eggs 23 in the compartments 2c and which also facilitate the passage of light throughthe device and the eggs therein, when the invention is used for candling purposes.

`Referring now to the modied embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying this embodiment employs a modified form of the panel actuating means used in substitution for thecords 32 and guides 34 previously described.

In .the modied form of `the invention the eyes it at the ends of the straps 38 are connected to the lower ends 'of a .pair oi belloranks Eil which have arms i2 pivoted 'as atV Eil to the opposite side walls Eli of the frame I and have relatively short other arms '5E provided with suitable nnger pieces 53 'disposed immediately adjacent the respective handles fili. Itwill 4be apparent that when the actuating mechanism is in the position shown by the full lines in Figure 4, the panels 22 will be closed, but when the mechanism is permitted to shift to the position illustrated by the dotted lines, the panels 22 will be opened.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. An egg carrier comprising a rectangular trame, a set of partitions provided in said frame and defining transverse rows of individual egg compartments open at the top and bottom there-- of, a set o1 transversely extending panels arranged in a row and hinged at the ends thereof to lower edges of opposite sides of said frame and swingable from horizontal positions wherein they constitute closures for the bottoms of the respective rows of compartments to downwardly swung open positions, handles provided at upper edges of said frame, and means disposed adjacent said handles and extending to a position underlying said panels and ope-atively connected. to said panels for swinging the latter simultaneously' to their closed positions.

2. An egg carrier comprising a rectangular frame, a set of partitions provided in said frame and defining a plurality of individual egg compartments open at the top and bottom thereof, a set of panels arranged in a row and hingedly connected along one edge to lower edges of said frame and swingable from horizontal positions wherein they constitute closures for bottoms of said compartments to downwardly swung open positions, and means underlying said panels for swinging said panels to their closed positions, wherein said means comprises a strap connected at one end to the free edge of the last panel in the row and actuating means connected to the other end of the strap.

3. An egg carrier comprising a rectangular frame, a set of partitions provided in said frame and dening a plurality of individual egg compartments open at the top and bottom thereof, a set of panels arranged in a row and hingedly connected along one edge to lower edges of said frame and swingable from horizontal positions wherein they constitute closures for bottoms of said compartments to downwardly swung open positions, and means underlying said panels for swinging said panels to their closed positions, wherein said means comprises a strap connected at one end to the free edge of the last panel in the row and actuating means connected to the other end of the strap, wherein the actuating means comprises a ilexible cord.

4. An egg carrier comprising a rectangular frame, a set of partitions provided in said frame and defining a plurality of individual egg compartments open at the top and bottom thereof, a set of panels arranged in a row and hingedly connected along one edge to lower edges of said frame and swingable from horizontal positions wherein they constitute closures for bottoms of said compartments to downwardly swung open poinvention, what is sitions, and means underlying said panels for swinging said panels to their closed positions, wherein said means comprises a strap connected at one end to the free edge of the last panel in the row and actuating means connected to the other end of the strap, wherein the actuating means comprises a bell crank.

5. An egg carrier comprising a rectangular frame, a set of partitions provided in said frame and dening transverse rows of individual egg compartments open at the top and bottom thereof, a set of transversely extending panels arranged in a row and hinged at the ends thereof to lower edges of opposite sides of said frame and swingable from horizontal positions wherein they constitute closures for the bottomsI of the respective rows of compartments to downwardly swung open positions, handles provided at upper edges of said frame, and means disposed adjacent said handles and extending to a position underlying said panels and operatively connected to said panels for swinging the latter simultaneously to their closed positions, wherein said means comprises a strap connected at one end to the free edge of the last panel in the row and actuating means connected to the other end of the strap.

6. An egg carrier comprising a rectangular frame, a set of partitions provided 'in said frame and defining transverse rows of individual egg compartments open at the top and bottom thereof, a set of transversely extending panels a1'- ranged in a row and hinged at the ends thereof to lower edges of opposite sides of said frame and swingable from horizontal positions wherein they constitute closures for the bottoms of the respective rows of compartments to downwardly swung open positions, handles provided at upper edges of said frame, and means disposed adjacent said handles and extending to a position underlying said panels and operatively connected to said panels for swinging the latter simultaneously to their closed positions, wherein said means comprises a strap connected at one end to the free edge of the last panel in the row and actuatin means connected to the other end of the strap, wherein the actuating means comprises a flexible cord.

7. An egg carrier comprising a rectangular frame, a set of partitions provided in said frame and dening transverse rows of individual egg compartments open at the top and bottom thereof, a set of transversely extending panels arranged in a row and hinged at the ends thereof to lower edges of opposite sides of said frame and swingable from horizontal positions wherein they constitute closures for the bottoms of the respective rows of compartments to downwardly swung open positions, handles provided at upper edges of said frame and means disposed adjacent said handles and extending to a position underlying said panels and operatively connected to said panels for swinging the latter simultaneously to their closed positions, wherein said means comprises a strap connected at one end to the free edge of the last panel in the row and actuating means connected to the other end of the strap, wherein the actuating means comprises a bell crank.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 431,591 Juergens July 8, 1890 1,270,756 Holmberg June 25, 1918 2,361,461 DeMezey Oct. 3l, 1944 

